Robert J

Here's an interesting aside. Two of my friends from Toronto did a doc (sort of an anti-doc - Dylan is not actually in it) on Bob a couple of years ago. The whole Judas thing came up in the research. To their amazement the guy had been quietly living in a suburb of Toronto for several years! He died last year. Here's a news clip- Griffin Ondaatje and Craig Proctor hope the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival will give their film Complete Unknown its Toronto premiere in April. The movie, a quirky 90-minute meditation on Bob Dylan (quirky because while Dylan isn't in it, his presence is felt everywhere if not seen), has already played the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax and the Calgary International Film Festival. Unfortunately, Keith Butler, one of the "stars" of Complete Unknown and the person to whom the film is dedicated, won't be around to see it when it screens in Toronto. Butler died, at 56, in Toronto last October — but thankfully not before this Ont.-based Bank of Montreal employee had secured (sort of) his position as one of the most famous footnotes in rock music history. It was Butler, you see, who claimed he bleated "Judas!" at Bob Dylan's epochal concert in May 1966 at the Manchester Free Trade Hall (aka "The Royal Albert Hall Concert"). Butler was 19 years old, a student at Keele University in the U.K. when he took such strong exception to Dylan's use of the electric guitar on previously all-acoustic songs like One Too Many Mornings and Baby, Let Me Follow You Down. Today it's hard to imagine such consternation, but pop was serious business back then, and Dylan's decision "to go electric" was seen by not a few fans as at once a betrayal and an artistic mistake. ("Any bloody pop group could do this rubbish . . . He's a traitor," was how Butler put it to a documentary crew after the concert.) Butler, described by Griffin Ondaatje as a "very straightforward and courteous person," actually kept quiet about both his denunciation and his identity until late 1998 when he agreed to participate in a BBC symposium on the Dylan concert in Manchester. In the years thereafter, Butler got more comfortable about his claim to fame — he agreed to let Ondaatje and Proctor film him in his house in the summer of 2002 — but not by much. When I tracked Butler down by telephone in early 1999, he begged me not to write about where he worked, or to try to get his photograph, or to visit him or even to call him again. Ever. As Griffin Ondaatje told me this week, "I think Keith was a bit taken by surprise at the whole legendary thing that later surrounded the shout. I think, of course, he regretted it on many levels. When we heard that Keith had died [he was severely asthmatic], it was shocking and sad. Very strange."

He also subs in for Dame Edna when (s)he's sick. --------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK (AP) — Another musician has tested the tolerance level for bad language on prime-time television but she's no raucous rock star. Would you believe it's Joan Baez? The 64-year-old folk singer was interviewed as part of Bob Dylan: No Direction Home, the two-part American Masters series directed by Martin Scorsese that aired this week on PBS. She talked about how frustrating Dylan could often be for fellow musicians, using the F-word. PBS said both "clean" and unedited versions of the film were sent out to its 349 stations, leaving it up to the local station managers to decide their community's tolerance for language. To the best of her knowledge, only New York City's WNET-TV — the country's largest TV market and Scorsese's hometown — aired the unedited version, PBS spokeswoman Lee Sloan said Wednesday. WNET spokeswoman Debra Falk said the station decided to use it because the language was not gratuitous and fit into the context of the film. Both nights of the film began with the warning: "The following program contains strong language. Viewer discretion is advised."

Out of curosity - first time I swear - I checked out his website just now. The duet idea looks crazy and hackneyed. But the real kicker for me: I may have heard this before, but now it sinks in - he's sold over 70 million records

I don't knock Windsor. Though many in Toronto do of course ("I'm sorry to hear that"). Our side of the pond is pretty nice to look at and I have fond memories of the freedon festival fireworks when I was growing up. I once did solo piano for a wedding on a river boat as well. But if Windsor didn't have Detroit, my upbringing would have been much different without: WJZZ, WDET, WRIF, WWWW, Greektown, Mexican Village, the Renaissance Centre, Detroit Jazz festival, Mort Crim on Channel 4 (was it Bill Bonds on Channel 7? - I remember him crying on camera once), Sir Graves Ghastley, Cartoons on Channels 20 and 50, Red Wings games, the DIA, Wayne State, St Andrew's Hall, Cobo Hall (and all those great auto shows), Ford Auditorium (my first symphony concerts), $1 shooters, 20 cent beers, State Theatre, the Fox theatre, AC Lindell's and Tiger Stadium. The list could go on. This is why, for instance, London Ontario is so boring in comparison.

I was born, raised, first listened to jazz and went to university there - philosophy/english degree. But left at 23 for Toronto cause I didn't want to get sucked into the factories. Now I live in Oakville (ironically housing another big Ford plant) and work in downtown Toronto. Just let me know when you're up. I can probably get people to plug Organissimo on the radio or in print. Hell, I'll write up the story. Maybe a Golden Horseshoe Tour and then top it off in Buffalo. Or you could do like the Stones do - live here for a few months, rehearse, then start the world tour in a small nightclub for $10 before coming back a couple of months later and charge $400.

Thank you kindly for that. I'd love to, really I would. Can't see a trip to Michigan though before the year end. Most of my family is now up this way, except my mother who I visit in the summer in Windsor (she has a pool). As you know I passed through on a recent trip. But what about Organissimo in Toronto? Is it possible? I mentioned before that Joey D comes up often as his guitarist Jake Langley is from here. Some good live venues here and a 24 hour jazz station and 3/4 college stations to promote.

I'm getting the munchies all of a sudden. "Pouring the hot butter richness of a Hammond B3 over a funky backbeat with a side of tart and tasty guitar, the group's sound is damn near irresistible."

I saw the splash page but when I signed up for the newsletter it crapped out

Even weirder to think I own some of his recent releases http://www.stonyplainrecords.com/Web/artist.asp?id=394 sidewinder - he still returns to Toronto regularly. As recent as April of this year. Not bad for an 89 year old!

Oscar Peterson - from Norman Granz' Jam Session Herb Pomeroy

Jay McShann

Plus, no one asks for hand-outs here.

There's 2 names I haven't heard in awhile. Though I do go to Bagatellen once in awhile.

They play 2 days after Bob in Toronto, but I have to pace myself.

2 weeks away. Anyone going? Sept 22 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC Sept 23 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA Sept 25 ACL Fest Austin, TX Sept 27 Mississippi Nights St. Louis, MO Sept 28 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN Sept 29 Metro | Chicago Chicago, IL Sept 30 Metro | Chicago Chicago, IL Oct 01 Majestic Theater Detroit, MI Oct 02 Mod Club Toronto, ON Oct 04 Paradise Boston, MA Oct 05 Irving Plaza New York, NY Oct 06 Trocadero Philadelphia, PA Oct 07 9:30 Club Washington, DC Oct 11 Neumo's Seattle, WA Oct 12 Doug Fir Portland, OR Oct 14 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA Oct 15 El Rey Los Angeles, CA

Anyone ever see the Italian film Caro Diario by Nino Moretti? There's a lengthy section where the protagonist rides his Vespa throughout Rome and then the countryside. All the while the 2nd cut from Koln is playing. May be the first and only instance of it on a soundtrack? (oops I am wrong)

I took to it right away when I was 18. Fascinated by that left hand. I think the last cut is in the Real Book and I learned to play that one. Not listened to it recently, though I have it now on CD. I found the Bremen & Lausanne concerts a bit more deeper though. I even have Staircase and the Bregenz / Munich concert album, the former being the better one if I recall - not sure when I'll revisit these again. Do I have time to listen, as I did in university, to 3 complete LPs while laying on a couch? An aside - if you want a laugh you can read the half-baked review in AMG of it. There's a long thread on AAJ about the author (Thom Jurek) and I have a few contributions.

Yeah. I have a Dell at home. I discovered that I have a 60 day copy of paint Shop Pro on it, so I used that. It has a 1 click correction feature which was helpful. Then some tweaks. I am no cuow though. The toughest part was trying to lighten that really dark group shot.

First time too. Quickly discovered that you can only do about 1 at a time (ie 1 per post). You first have to upload, then add them to the post. It's not like just adding a link to a pic. Took a little editing. I wish for the process I had better quality pics but for $7.99 and a shaky college hand holding it (he too must have been feeling the beat of the hips) I can't complain.

BTW, Robert, I finally checked out your sound clip, you get a big . Ever check out Gene Harris for a supremely bluesy approach to jazz? ← Thanks Dan. Oh yeah Gene Harris! In fact as we were driving through Michigan on the way to Chicago I was playing a newly bought CD - "Bam Bam Bam" I also have a Little Piece of Heaven. I'd rather listen to Gene - than our Oscar Peterson - for inspiration. In fact I was just this morning thinking about how I fell into blues-based improv and whether or not I'll ever be an "out" kind of guy. Ah well. I am going to Barry Harris' workshop in Toronto in November so maybe I can correct my bebop deficiencies.

All right Aggie. Except I get to tip the waitress.

Have a great one Dan - and one for all of us.

Jimmy Burns and myself after the gig, c. 1:30am. A real gentleman.

A great solo in the style of Pinetop Perkins